Special Events – Summer Newsletter 2025

UM Department Residential Trips

This term, the UM Department had the pleasure of running two excellent residential trips, giving students meaningful opportunities to build vital skills beyond the classroom.

Geography and Culture in the Amalfi Coast

Students travelled to the stunning Amalfi Coast for a Geography and Cultural Tour. They enjoyed beautiful coastal views and experienced Italian culture through a range of engaging activities:

  • Hiking up Mount Vesuvius
  • Exploring the historic ruins of Pompeii
  • Driving along the scenic Amalfi Coast
  • Boat trip to the Island of Capri
  • Pizza-making and gelato-making workshops

It was a rich, educational experience filled with unforgettable moments. A big thank you to Mr Taylor, Mr Thorn, Mrs Latta, and Mrs Griffiths for making this trip possible.

Outdoor Adventure at Lockerbie Manor, Scotland

Our second residential took students to Lockerbie Manor for an action-packed outdoor adventure. The focus was on resilience, teamwork, and enjoying nature. Students took part in:

  • Archery
  • Paddleboarding and raft building
  • Rifle shooting
  • Survival skills training
  • Evenings around the campfire

It was inspiring to see every student step up to challenges and support one another. Special thanks to Mr Taylor, Mr Leigh, Miss Rennox, and Mrs Traverse for their enthusiasm and guidance.

Looking Ahead Both trips gave students not only academic enrichment but also valuable personal growth and lifelong memories. We are already looking forward to our next residential trip to Belgium in the Autumn Term!

Heritage Project Update

Exploring the Past, Celebrating the Present

This year, Mrs Turner and Mr Jack have been leading our Heritage Project, exploring the rich history of Tower College and the Tower building before it became a school. Working closely with the Rainhill Civic Society, we’ve gained fascinating insights into the local area and the evolution of the building through time.

🕰️ Special Visitors: The Baxter Family

One of the highlights of the summer term was welcoming Mr and Mrs Riou Baxter to Tower College. Mr Baxter is a direct descendant of the family who owned the Tower building from 1880 until after the First World War.

He shared captivating stories about his ancestors and kindly donated historic family photographs that have now become part of our archive. Our Heritage Ambassadors enjoyed afternoon tea with the Baxters and members of the Civic Society, asking many thoughtful and insightful questions.

🖼️ Heritage Displays & History Boards

Our heritage work has been brought to life with the creation of informative displays around the school:

  • ✅ Board 1: The founding of Tower College and its early years
  • 🏥 Board 2 (Coming Soon): The building’s role as a hospital for soldiers during the Great War
  • 📸 Historic Photo Collection: A growing archive of the Tower building and its occupants across the decades

These displays will be available for visitors to view from September – we hope you’ll come and see them!

👏 Thank You, Student Contributors!

A heartfelt thank you to the pupils who helped make the Baxter visit such a success. You represented the school beautifully and made our guests feel so welcome:

Year 7: Jack, Matilda, Caitlin, Jaidenvir, Sophie, Emily
Year 8: Matthew, Billie
Year 10: Daniel, Isabelle

📣 Get Involved

We’re excited to continue developing our Heritage Project in the coming year. If you’re a former pupil, local resident, or simply someone with an interest in the Tower site, we’d love to hear from you!

📧 Contact us:
mrsturner@towercollege.com
mrjack@towercollege.com

Let’s preserve and celebrate the stories that make Tower College so special.

A Fond Farewell to the Construction Crew

The atmosphere was both celebratory and a little bittersweet as the construction crew came together for their final meeting at school. This special occasion marked the last time students climbed what had once been the Tower staircase.

A Year Like No Other – Over the year, the construction crew worked with great teamwork, creativity, and commitment. They experienced so much together:

  • A visit to the Liverpool Cathedrals and architects’ offices
  • Stone Masonry classes
  • Countless site meetings
  • And even climbing the impressive scaffolding!

Definitely not your typical school day!

Looking Back—and Ahead – During their final meeting with the architects, the children reflected on everything they had achieved—the challenges they overcame, the new skills they learned, and the friendships they built. Their faces lit up with pride, knowing they had contributed to something meaningful within their school.

More Than Just a Project – Although their time working on the Tower has come to an end, the lessons they’ve learned and the memories they’ve made will stay with them. This final meeting may mark a conclusion—but it also celebrates a journey filled with growth, discovery, and working together.

Bronze Award for Rights Respecting the Child

We’re proud to share that our school has been awarded the Bronze Award for Rights Respecting the Child by UNICEF! This special recognition celebrates our ongoing commitment to making sure every child’s rights are understood, respected, and part of daily life at school.

What This Means – The award highlights how we’re bringing the values of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into everything we do—through lessons, everyday routines, and the way we treat one another. It’s a true team effort, made possible by the dedication of our pupils, staff, and the wider school community, all working together to promote respect, fairness, and inclusion.

How We Got Here – Over the past year, children across the school have taken part in:

  • Classroom discussions about rights and responsibilities
  • School-wide campaigns to raise awareness
  • Projects and activities that encourage respect for one another

Looking Ahead – This Bronze Award is just the beginning! We’re now aiming for the Silver Award, as we continue to build a school culture where children’s rights are at the centre of everything we do.

Thank You! – A huge well done to everyone who helped make this happen. Your hard work and care have helped make our school a place where every child’s voice matters.

We’ve Received an Award for Allergy Awareness!

We’re proud to share that our school has received a special award in recognition of our commitment to allergy awareness and management. This award highlights our dedication to creating a safe and inclusive environment for every student.

📝 How We Keep Students Safe
A key part of our approach is our comprehensive allergy register, which keeps staff well-informed about students’ specific needs. This allows for quick and effective responses in any allergy-related situation. We also provide regular training sessions so our team is confident and prepared to handle emergencies with care.

🤝 Thank You for Your Support
This recognition symbolises our collective effort and reminds us how important it is to work together. We extend our sincere thanks to our staff, parents, and students for your continued support and vigilance in helping us maintain a safe school environment. Together, we continue to build a culture of awareness, support, and safety—helping every student thrive without the worry of allergies.

Pupils Represent South Korea at MUN Conference

Ten of our pupils recently joined Mr Thorn and me to take part in Withington Girls’ School’s annual Model United Nations (MUN) conference. Representing South Korea, they engaged in thoughtful debates on a wide range of real-world issues. Our MUN team included:

  • Sarah (former pupil, now in Year 13)
  • Year 10: Brandon, Charley, Isabelle, Jessica, Tavimba
  • Year 9: Anushri, Malaika
  • Year 8: Stelios
  • Year 7: Febo

We’ve taken part in MUN events for many years, with many students building their skills in our regular lunchtime club. These weekend conferences can be demanding to prepare for, but they offer a truly rewarding experience.

Pupils gain valuable insights into diplomacy, negotiation, and viewing complex issues from different perspectives. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for those with creative ideas, quick thinking, and confidence to thrive.

A special thank you goes to Sarah, who left us two years ago and has continued to represent the school at MUN events. Her experience, guidance, and enthusiasm have been a huge support to our current pupils. She received another individual award at this conference—her last before heading to university in September.

Congratulations also to Stelios and Febo, who were actively involved in their committees and each received an individual award. Well done to everyone who took part and continued to build their debating experience.

Our next weekend MUN event is expected to take place in November. More details will be shared at the start of the new school year. Pupils who have enjoyed Model UN in school—or those curious to try something new—are warmly encouraged to register their interest with me, Mr Jack.

Library News

Recently, our library design team met with the architects to discuss plans for the new library, with the goal of giving all pupils a voice in its design. The team has worked hard to gather input from their classmates, meet with the architects, and create their own library design proposals. We’ve been especially impressed by their imaginative mood boards and thoughtful contributions.

The group has held several productive meetings with the architects and designers to develop a cohesive design. They’ve explored colours, materials, and layout ideas, and each pupil has played an important role in shaping the vision for our future library.

Pupils can also look forward to a fresh and exciting selection of books arriving in September. After being asked what titles they’d like to see, we’re pleased to share that the new additions will include graphic novels, sports biographies, and contemporary fiction. It’s been fantastic to see so many pupils enjoying the library this term, and we look forward to welcoming even more readers in the new school year.

Enjoy the summer—and keep reading!

Mrs Christian

🎉 We’re a Bronze myHappymind School!

We’re proud to share that our school has been awarded Bronze Accreditation from myHappymind! This achievement recognises the commitment of our staff and pupils in embracing a programme that supports mental health and wellbeing across the school.

🌟 What is myHappymind?

myHappymind helps children build strong mental health by teaching them how to manage challenges and emotions with confidence. Using fun characters, catchy songs, videos, and interactive games, it turns important lessons into an engaging and enjoyable experience. The result? A more positive and supportive school community for everyone.

👕 Wellbeing Hoodie Competition Winners

To celebrate our accreditation, we hosted a Wellbeing Hoodie Competition—and the creativity was fantastic!

Congratulations to our winners:

  • Emily and Marika (Year 2)
  • Fiyin (Year 3)
  • Matilda (Year 7)
  • Eve (Year 10)

Their designs will soon be available in the school uniform shop, with a portion of each sale going directly toward supporting our wellbeing initiatives.

💬 Thank You

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to create a caring and encouraging environment for all our pupils.

Mrs Traverse